Secret lives by Mark de Castrique (Thriller / Mystery)

Writing: 3/5 story: 4/5 characters: 3/5

75-year old Ethel Crestwater runs a boarding house for government agents and has the heads of the FBI and Secret Service on speed-dial. When one of her boarders is killed and a bag full of counterfeit money is found in his room, Ethel and her double-first-cousin-twice-removed take matters into their own hands staying just a step or two ahead of several agencies and agents who all have their own agendas and possibly something to hide.

This was entertaining and had some (obviously) quirky characters that I enjoyed. I know very little about how the FBI and Secret Service work but I can’t say I found this depiction in any way believable. Some clever hiding places and just the right amount of background information on cryptocurrency.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on October 11th, 2022.